In The Rain
by Em Kay Who
Summary: "In movies and on the telly, they always make it seem like a couple taking a walk in the rain is romantic. This isn't very romantic. Actually, it's kind of miserable."


A/N: This is for ktrosesworld (on tumblr) who asked for a high school AU with Ten and Rose going for a walk in the rain and splashing in puddles. This is also for the timepetalsprompts (tumblr) pay it forward promo. It's incredibly late, but here it is! Hope you enjoy, KT!

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. *The Doctor Foster reference in this story, refers to the old nursery rhyme by the same name.

* * *

"You know, this isn't very romantic."

"Excuse me?"

John shrugged. "In movies and on the telly, they always make it seem like a couple taking a walk in the rain is romantic. This isn't very romantic. Actually, it's kind of miserable." He looked down sadly at his soaked footwear.

Fifteen year old Rose Tyler giggled. "I told you this morning not to wear your trainers. I said it was going to rain and you were going to regret not wearing your wellies."

He sniffed. "Did I?"

"Yep!" She poked his arm. "You said, 'Rose Tyler my trainers are the perfect footwear for any weather.' Then you started going on and on about how you knew for a fact that it wasn't going to rain today because of the type of clouds in the sky."

"That doesn't sound like me at all."

"Shut up."

"My point still stands." He pouted. "This isn't very romantic."

Rose nudged him with her shoulder. "What do you care if our walk home from school is romantic or not? It's not like we're a couple or anything."

John frowned. "We're not? But we're always together."

"That doesn't make us a couple," she told him with a laugh. "We're always together because we've lived in side by side flats since we were five years old. We've gone to the same school every year and we've walked to and from school together every day of our life, save for the two weeks we each had the chickenpox."

He shivered. "And itchy, itchy time. But at least we had each other! Scratching each other's backs in times of need. What's more couple-y than that?" he asked enthusiastically.

"We were eight!"

"So?! Tell me, Rose. Tell me what couples do that we don't. Hm? Cause the way I see it, we're a couple. We hold hands like couples do," he squeezed their joined hands in example, "I kill spiders for you no matter what time it is, and you cut help me with my hair in the mornings! To only name a few."

Rose looked at him and carefully asked, "John, where's all this coming from?"

A look of hurt crossed his face, and letting go of her hand her, he sped up his steps. "Never mind. Me being silly. Forget I said anything."

"Now hold on!" she called to him, quickening her own steps. "don't be like that. I'm just asking. I mean... Did you really think we were a couple?"

"Well." John began tugging his left ear. His tell that he was obviously embarrassed. "It just seemed that we were. Apparently I was mistaken."

"John...'"

He held up a hand. "Please, Rose. Spare me the awkwardness this conversation is bringing. Let's just forget about it, yeah? We're good at that."

"That's not fair," she chided. "I'm just trying to understand. I'll give it to you that we're close, closer than most friends, but still. Friends. With couples there's usually kissing and dancing. And you don't do those sort of things."

He snorted. "You just assume I don't-"

She crossed her arms. "John, I've known you for ten years and not once have you had a girlfriend or even showed that much interest in anyone."

"So! Rose, I'm a fifteen year old male. Just because I haven't had a girlfriend doesn't mean I haven't danced."

Rose stopped walking. Looking utterly defeated, she sat herself down on the kerb. "What? Y-you've danced?"

John moved to her side and sat. "I, uh, danced with Reinette at her birthday party last year. Just regular dancing, not," he wiggled his eyebrows, " _dancing_. She also sort of kissed me."

"What!? Where was I when all this went down?"

"You were outside with Rickey," he answered, trying desperately to sound indifferent.

"Mickey," she corrected through clenched teeth. "His name is Mickey. You've known 'im just as long as you've known me, so just stop it."

His shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

"Rose, do you want to know the real reason Reinette danced with me and kissed me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Cause she's a cow who's had her sights set on you since she moved here three years ago?"

"No," he said pointedly. "It's because the boy she was best friends with in France was there visiting and she was trying make him jealous. Make him notice her. Same thing I was trying to do."

"You were trying to make her friend from France jealous?" she asked quietly.

He nudged her shoulder. "Such cheek. But no. I was trying to make you jealous."

"Me? But... but why?"

"Because you had been hanging around Rick- I mean, Mickey so much and I just thought... I was scared of losing you."

"I was hanging around him more than normal because he was upset about his gran passing away and having to move Manchester with his cousin," she explained.

He nodded. "I know that now, but I didn't at the time! And after that stupid party and Mickey moved away, things were different between us. We were closer. I thought that meant... I mean... It was just different, good different. And it happened so naturally, I thought it didn't need saying."

Rose inhaled sharply. "Saying might have helped."

John chuckled and reached for her hand. "Yeah. I realise that now. So, have you ever, you know, kissed or danced?"

She bit her bottom lip. "Mickey kissed me before he left"

"Really?" he questioned, his voice higher than normal.

"But as nice as it was, it wasn't coming from the person I wanted it to come from."

He frowned. "Who did you...?"

She stared at him. "John."

"Oh." He blinked several times. "ME!? You mean me? Huh. That's... That's good... That's very good."

"Yeah?" she whispered.

John's eyes lit up. "Oh yes!"

Rose leaned her head forward, bumping his nose with hers. "Gonna kiss me then?"

"Nope!"

She jerked back to look at him properly. "Sorry?"

"Of course I'm going to kiss you, but not here," he explained happily.

"Then where?"

He stood abruptly, pulling her up with him. "Over here!" he shouted, running out into the middle of the street.

Rose let out of a yelp of surprise before asking, "Has anyone ever told you you're mad!?"

John grinned down at her and said, "Oh, Rose, they never really stop," before leaning down and capturing his lips with hers. It lasted all of ten magical seconds before both teenagers pulled away, coughing and choking from water they inhaled through their noses. "Okay. Kissing in the rain definitely not as romantic as movies and the telly make it seem!" he conceded.

"It's the thought that counts." She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Tell you what, how about we get ourselves home and dried off then we can trying this kissing thing with a roof over our heads." Grabbing his hand, Rose began tugging John back down the street.

"I like the way you think, Rose Tyler."

She gave him a wide grin, the tip of her tongue peeking out between her teeth. "Yeah? Then you'll love this idea!" Letting go of his hand, she raced forward, jumping in the nearest puddle.

"Rooose!" he whined. "My trainers!"

"Come on! They're a lost cause either way."

John sighed. "Last time you convinced me to jump in a puddle I ended up waist deep like _Doctor Foster._ "

Rose splashed her way back towards him and batted her eyelashes. "Please, Doctor?" she teased.

Crossing his arms he asked, "Are you going to keep calling me Doctor?"

"Do you want me to?" she countered, her voice husky with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Well," his voice cracked, "it does have a certain ring to it."

With a sweet smile, Rose grabbed John's hand. "You and me then, Doctor. Ready?"

He nodded and squeezed her hand. "Ready."

"On three. One, two-"

"Run!"

Hand in hand, the two raced forward and jumped in the nearest puddle.


End file.
